Jell-O shots have long been a part of the college (and admit it, post-college) party scene, maybe because they’re as easy to make as, well, Jell-O. You just open a packet, heat it up on the stove in some hot water, add in some booze, let it set in little cups, and boom, you’ve got edible shooters. But wouldn’t it be better to have edible cocktails? You’re a grown-up now, so swap out the Jell-O for real gelatin and get creative.

When you swap out Jell-O packets for gelatin packets, a whole new world opens up to you. Whereas once you were hemmed in by the Jell-O flavors, now the world is your oyster. And nothing has changed when it comes to prep; instead of a Jell-O packet, you just use a couple packets of Knox gelatin. As for molds, we recommend flexible silicone or a loaf pan that will let you slice your creation up into shots after it’s done setting, but it’s entirely up to you.

More on Jelly Shots

If you’re looking for jelly shot inspiration, we can’t recommend Jelly Shot Test Kitchen highly enough. The recipes are based on real cocktails, the shots are expertly prepared, and the photography is great.

Here are five of our favorite (and easiest to make) jelly shots from that website, with links to the full recipes. These are all insanely simple to prepare, and there’s no need to fancy them up, because hey, the flavors are there and it’s all going to the same place, right? So ditch the Jell-O shots forever — and have fun!